We need to maintain our higher standards, be beautiful on the inside and not succumb to current values in public discourse and materialistic pursuits.

J-172 Israel at 48

HKB”H gave us the State of Israel in 1948 as a piyus (appeasement) after the holocaust. R’Schwab was very negative about the State. R’Reisman gives his own version of R’YBS’s 5 Knocks in Kol Dodi Dofeik to show the founding of the State was truly Yad Hashem (HKB”H’s Hand).

J-173 The Netziv on Mitzvos

There is no such thing as serving HKB”H and something else at the same time! The majority of the shiur presents examples of the Netziv’s position that one can “elongate” a Torah mitzvah as long as Torah doesn’t prohibit it. Examples provided include kiddush, kriat shma, lulav, brit . . .

J-174 A Letter to the Editor

Every generation is tested in its ability to be close to HKB”H. In the U.S., our challenge is to build on the devotion to halacha that’s developed over the last half century to include devotion to midot (ethical attributes).

J-175 a Twelve-Month Mitzvah

Aveilut (mourning) is about kavod (respect) for the niftar (departed), not about the mourner’s tzaar (pain). The nishama needs you, so don’t always look for leniencies in mourning practices (or your life), but rather think about whether your actions are a zchut (credit) to the niftar, even after the first year. [Me – always see dmut dyokno shel aviv wherever you go].

J-176 Visiting Gedolei Yisrael

Shiur reviews questions R’Reisman asked of R’Elyashav, R’Moshe, and R’Chaim Kanievsky. Also includes some mussar on the need to have someone as a source of hashpaa (influence).

SH-1 Don Isaac Abarvanel

The Abarbanel got a bad rap from academics as a rationalist/apologist (and somewhat heretical in traditional circles). He lived at an inflection point in Jewish history when the broad themes of Tanach needed to be opened up to the Jewish community as a whole due to events in the outside world (Spanish expulsion).

Other inflection points were the moves from prophets to judges to kings which were primarily shifts in emphasis in roles (e.g.leadership, focus on the individual legal opinion provider).

SH-2 Too Many I’s

The intent behind our otherwise mundane actions can turn those actions into mitzvot—examples provided. The key is to be HKB”H centric and not egocentric.